As Serena Williams embarked on what is possibly her last pro tournament on Monday (Aug. 30) night, she brought a star-studded group of spectators, including award-winning actress Laverne Cox.
From Coco Gauff to Queen Latifah, the stars were in the building during last night’s U.S. Open event so it doesn’t come as a complete surprise that fans thought Beyoncé was also in attendance. While people thought they may have spotted the Renaissance creator in the crowd, it was actually Cox. “#Beyonce at the #USOpen,” wrote a Twitter user in a caption accompanied by a video of a Black woman sporting hoop earrings and a face mask. It just so happened that this person was the former “Orange is the New Black” star.
Cox has never shied away from her love of Beyoncé. In fact, just hours ahead of the matchup, she shared a video of her getting ready with none other than the Houston native herself playing in the background. “Everybody knows that I live for Beyoncé,” said Cox in a previous interview with “Entertainment Tonight.” “I try not to worship gods on earth, or goddesses, but I worship Beyoncé.” Furthermore, the 50-year-old entertainer poked fun at the hilarious case of mistaken identity by sharing some of the reactions across social media to her Instagram profile. “Not me getting mistaken for @Beyonce at the #USOpen tonight then trending on Twitter as the internet cackles over the mistaken identity,” wrote Cox in a caption. “These tweets are funny as hell. Enjoy!!!”
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As the culture prepares for what the sport of tennis will look like now that Williams has announced plans for retirement, tributes have flooded the media, including a Gatorade ad narrated by Beyoncé. “When the world writes her down in history, we’ll begin where she started: at love,” said the “Alien Superstar” songstress in the commercial. “No points, zero score – just love. It’s a love that we’ll remember through the generations, a love that started a movement, a movement to always love exactly who you are and who you can be.”
Check out the full tribute to Serena Williams below.